Battle of two Beliefs
by Cookiekiwi24
Summary: Darkness was attacking from all sides, no matter who or what you were. The Dark Forest attacked Starclan, Hagsmire attacked Gluamora, and eventually, the two groups of the dead meet in the middle. The two groups of good made a pact. They would help each other, whether they be living or dead. Cats would come to the tree, and the owls would accept them or all hope was lost.
1. Chapter 1 -The Deal

Chapter 1 – The deal 

Sara was practically in tears from the lack of sleep at this stage. The bright light of the sun blinded her, and everything just seemed white with shadows at this point. She could barely see anything, yet was expected to continue helping Maxx with the Battle-claws. Not that she minded, of course, every claw was needed at this point of time during the war, but still, the blazing fire combined with the hot sun on her back did not make the day go any faster. Maxx turned his soot-covered face (One of the few dark things she could see in this darn light) and looked at her. Hopefully with sympathy, but Sara simply couldn't tell with the harsh glare of the sun.

"Sara, you need to sleep." The large-for-his-breed Burrowing owl stated. Sara opened her beak to argue, but decided against it, and the yawn that came out helped with this fact.  
"Maxx, if you e-e-e-ver need any help just send someone up to wake me." Sara said drowsily as a yawn tried to sabotage her sentence. Maxx nodded, and booted her out gently with his strong legs. The large barn owl stumbled out obediently and thought about the position her life was currently in. She thoughtlessly took flight, using the faint shadows against the bright light and her memory as a map to guide her back to her hallow. Life at the great tree of Ga'Hoole was stressful. Rumours, no, not rumours, that meat there was a likely chance they were there, more like sights of Hagsfiends had been seen, and Glaumora spirits had appeared to various owls at the Great Tree, screaming about danger and wars. Owls that had heard the "rumour" of Hagsfiends went searching, and some had teamed up. Owls had started attacking Guardians, and battles had started. Now that the Guardians were busy and a quarter of the tree had to stay up late like Sara and Maxx had tonight. Battleclaws were important, as the opposing owls tried to steal the Guardians ones during battle from fallen corpses or even where fighting mid-air. Sara flew quietly into her hallow, and ducked her head under her tawny wing that faded to a light grey at the tips. Her brother Klukk murmured lightly in the corner, and nestled deeper into his nest before resuming his quiet breathing. Sara closed her eyes, and blocked out the white before being able to nod off.

-

The comforting dark was present, and her wings effortlessly lifted her off the ground. Sara closed her eyes and enjoyed the silky feeling of the night rushing over her, before realising she didn't know where she was. She angled herself and landed on a smooth branch. Bright, misty figures emerged from the night, and the young barn owl ruffled her feathers. Were these scrooms? Didn't scrooms appear in strange and eerie places? Turning her head around, she could see that this place was divine; in fact, it looked like what Glaumora had been described as. A meadow of grass, and the heartbeats of prey could be heard. The misty figures, however, were not owls she knew, or, in that matter, owls at all. The figures slid from the grass below and clawed their way up to her branch. Sara felt like she was about to scream. These were like small cougars, just smaller then foxes. She had read about them before. They were cats. Their yellow eyes stared at her with interest, and Sara moved her foot to claw the nearest one, to find her movements were slowed, like she was moving it through water.  
"Do not attack us, young one." The nearest one spoke. Now they were closer, and her eyes had adjusted to the brightness, she could see they were not at all made of mist, but their fur (which all had different patterns and colours) seemed to be covered with glowing specks like stars. "I am Stormstar, the previous leader of Pineclan. We come from lands away from yours, but only a sky away from your ancestors."  
Sara stared with her beak slightly open. These… these CATS could speak? They had leaders?  
"Wha-Who- How- Why are you here?" She questioned, the slowed movements apparently having no effect on her voice. The dark grey tom with darker stripes – Stormstar – answered her.  
"You know of the war going on in your world. The Hagsmires – do not interrupt – have been revived once more. The dark owls of your past times have been revived as spirits, and are currently influencing other owls as they dream. Our dark ancestors have been doing the same. The Dark Forest, where the spirits of evil cats are sent, appears to have started working with your ancestors. You and several other owls are being visited by other Starclan cats, and several cats are being visited by Gluamora spirits. If the Dark Forest and Hagsmire work together, neither group of us, Clans or Great Tree, will survive for very long. But together… together we might be able to survive."  
Stormstar paused for a heartbeat. "Cats shall come from the clans to help fight the Evil, and in turn, Owls must go to the clans to protect the clans." Sara blinked a few times. It was a lot to take in. After letting it sink in for a moment, she asked  
"When are the cats coming?"  
The murky brown she-cat answered her this time.  
"You will have one day- I mean, one night to prepare for their arrival. They will arrive at sundown tomorrow. You are to meet the other owls at the edge of the spirit woods when you wake. You must tell no other owl about this until the cats arrive. Do you understand?" Sara took a deep breath. _What if this is only a dream or a Hagsfiend illusion so I go off on a wild goose chase?_ Sara finally made her decision.  
"I will go, but mark my words, if these _cats_ cause any problems they are going to have to swim through the sea of Hoolemere without any help, where they will hopefully drown."  
The two cats appeared amused by this.  
"Then it is a deal?"  
"It is."


	2. Chapter 2 - Three unlikely owls

Chapter 2 - Three unlikely owls (And one to be expected)

The dream began to fade after the deal had been made. The two cats walked away as Sara's sight dimmed, until she opened her eyes to the quiet sound of the tree.  
With her acute hearing, Sara could hear the quiet shuffling of the Hospital hallow being moved around in, with various owls helping mix and make medicines, and helping the wounded Guardians. Looking around her hallow, she confirmed that everything was in order, and took off. Wings beating silently, she got some distance from the tree just as the tree began to wake up in the early night. There were no other owls flying in the same direction as she was. Her gizzard clenched a little, but something in it felt _right_, so she continued on, although she was nervous.

-

Landing on the skeletal branch of the bone-white tree, Sara closed her eyes for a moment. Her heart was fluttering, excited and nervous of meeting the other chosen owls. There were cats coming to the tree! She knew she shouldn't be excited; after all, it signalled that times had gotten very bad. However, she couldn't dismiss the fact that the idea of meeting another species as not exciting. Meeting the other owls, hand-picked by Gluamora and Starclan to defend and introduce the Cats to the tree, to make them fit in. She took a few deep breaths before continuing on her way to the meeting point. The whole way, she had been thinking of who may have been picked. Pluck might have. He was a large Great Grey with a talent for battle, or perhaps Lonu, a descendant of Soren himself. She had no idea why she of all owls had been picked. She had been brought in at a young age with her younger brother, Klukk, after a forest fire had swept through her home and caught her parents in the blaze. Sara shuddered mid-air, almost going yeep at the thought. While she was okay with fire in small amounts or even in the forge, she practically connected death anything bigger. She shook her head, and finally got there. Her breath hitched in her throat for a moment. Would the other owls approve of her, would she fit in? Without letting herself dwell on this any longer, she landed on the twisted pine she had heard the heartbeats of multiple owls come from, and looked around her in shock. Of all the owls she had considered, only one of them were here, and that was Lonu. There were four owls at the tree, counting her. There was Lonu, the rather cocky yet brave and loyal descendant of Soren, Harper, the quiet, bookish Snowy owl Sara had often seen in the library but rarely spoken anything but a hello to, and (the most surprising) was Ida, the loudmouthed, rude Spotted owl that had a particular dislike for Sara. While Ida gave Sara a short glare, Sara felt panic build up in inside herself.  
"What are you doing here?" Ida said in a snooty voice. "You must think you were clever to follow one of us here, but you can leave now we're here on import busin-"  
"Starclan." Sara said, and Ida clamped her beak shut. Harper, Sara was rather happy to see, seemed to be trying to supress laughter.  
"Well, if you two are finished arguing, we have important things to discuss." Lonu said "The cats are arriving at Sundown tomorrow and we have to prepare for them." Sara suddenly realized something.  
"Was anyone ever told how they would get here?"  
Silence quickly took over the group, until Harper spoke up.  
"Ivypetal mentioned the power of flecks and spirt." She said quietly.  
"Whos Iv-" Sara started before remembering other cats would have been sent to different owls. "Sorry, go on." Harper nodded at her.  
"She said there was a cave under an overhang where the two created a powerful influence. If the cats arrive there, then that's where we'll go. However, I think the biggest problem won' be the cats getting here." The other owls looked rather confused. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not sure the tree will exactly be happy with mini predators suddenly appearing in one of the safest places Hoolian kingdom." Sara started to click her beak nervously.  
"I could talk to Witlim." Lonu said, referring the King of the Great Tree. "Tell him that they are special and needed. He'll listen to me, I have Sorens bl-"  
"You have the great Sorens blood, we get it." Ida growled. "It's not just the king, but the idea of having cats in the great tree is alarming. What if one gets hungry and decides a nice small chick would make a nice lunch?"  
"What if some owls attack them for fun, to be able to boast that they've fought, killed, and maybe even eat a cat?" Sara said, Ida's tone of voice making her angry. "Both sides could do wrong. What of the owls that go to their home? What if a nice small… Kit? Yeah, kit. What if they decide a nice small kit would make a nice snack?"  
"But that's forbidden!" Ida said, voice scathing "We don't eat baby animals!"  
"Well, then what says the cats don't either?" Harper said quietly, swooping down and landing between the two. "Besides, we'll provide them with food here anyway. No problems." All bickering faded, and the owls discussed where the cats would sleep and how they would great them, until it was midnight  
"We have to get going." Lonu said "I'll go and talk to Witlim, and you three set up the empty hallow. I'll come and get you after my meeting." Everyone nodded, and took off together, heading back for the tree.

**[ Hey there everyone! Thanks so much for reading! Please, if you read this, give me a review. I'd love to be able to help you out with the confusing parts. Oh, and name pronunciation:  
Lonu ; Lon (As in ****lon****g) –oo (As is f****oo****d)  
Ida; Eye-da  
Witlim; Wit-limb ]**


End file.
